Eastern on the Anacostia

This proposal envisions transforming the former RFK Stadium campus into a mixed-use, community-centered waterfront district that integrates:

• Affordable and mixed-income housing
• Local retail storefronts
• Community-oriented restaurants
• Public gardens and green infrastructure
• Riverfront recreation and cultural gathering spaces

The project prioritizes equitable development without displacement, ensuring that Southeast DC residents directly benefit from new investment.

The Waterfront Community Commons project proposes a new chapter for the former RFK Stadium campus in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, DC. For decades, the stadium and its surrounding parking lots dominated a large riverfront site while nearby neighborhoods experienced limited access to high-quality public space, affordable housing, and neighborhood-serving retail. With the stadium now demolished and the land moving into a new planning phase, there is a unique opportunity to rethink how this valuable waterfront can serve local residents instead of remaining an underused landscape of asphalt and fences. This proposal responds to ongoing conversations about equitable urban development in DC, environmental justice along the Anacostia River, and the need for more affordable housing and community amenities in Southeast neighborhoods. It frames the RFK site not just as a redevelopment project, but as a chance to correct historic patterns of disinvestment and disconnection from the waterfront.